For Want of a Voice
by Pernshinigami
Summary: For want of a voice the Ember was lost... a ghost named Nevermore turns Ember into a human and takes away her voice. Can Sam help her get it back? Will Ember be a human forever? Yuri warning
1. Chapter 1

**For want of a voice**

By Nyassa Kaiba

Ember was locked in vicious combat. She NEEDED to beat this ghost. It was invading her territory! Her home!

Nevermore was vicious. Ember had heard her reputation. Among all the female evil ghosts, she was most powerful. More powerful than Spectra at her peak, or Desiree, no, this ghost was just too much.

"I'll kill you all over again Nevermore!" Ember shouted as she strummed up a spell on her guitar.

"I doubt that." Nevermore replied as her hand signals summoned a spell. "Your powers are useless without sound…" And the spell released, flying faster than Ember could speak.

Ember screamed, long and painful as the spell shocked her. /Gotta, break, free./ She thought angrily. Her rage was so strong it consumed her. And she felt something changing inside of her. Some part of her was different. But Ember had no chance to contemplate this as she blacked out.

About an hour or so later Danny and company passed in the ghost skimmer that Danny's father built. They were continuing with Danny's idea of mapping the ghost zone. Suddenly the scanners went off. "What is it Tucker?" Danny asked, for Tucker was nearest.

"It says there's a human in the ghost zone, but that would have to be impossible." Tucker commented as they drew closer.

"Let me see." Sam leaned over to see. "But that's impossible. Not unless there's another portal OR another halfa. And there's neither!"

"Shall we check it out?" Danny asked. "I mean, they might be in trouble or something."

"Let's go for it!" Tucker agreed.

"I'm in." Sam agreed.

Tucker was driving. "Alright, hang on tight!" Tucker told everybody.

Tucker brought them slowly up beside the person, whoever it was. The three of them got out to see who it was.

Danny turned the unconscious figure over. "NO WAY?" He backed off. "It's Ember! But what happened to her? She's not a human!"

Ember groaned, still in pain from the beating she'd taken. "Whatever happened, she needs help." Sam told him. "Are we going to let her suffer or are we going to show compassion and give her the help she needs?" Demanded Sam.

"Okaaaay, but if she causes trouble we get rid of her."

"Um… helloo. No ghost means no ghost powers." Sam pointed out. "If she's fully human her abilities will be gone, if she's a halfa like Danny now then her powers would be changed and she wouldn't know how to use them."

"Oooookay. I suppose I could try." Danny sighed. "Okay, we'll give her a chance, but you're responsible for her."

Sam nodded. "I'll take her to my place. I'm sorry, I don't like her that much, but I really feel sorry for her. Now lets get Ember back through the portal."

"Okee dokee." Danny agreed. The three of them tried to get Ember back to the ghost skimmer. But there was one problem.

"Um… sorry to bust your bubbles, but there's only three seats and four of us." Tucker pointed out.

"I'll carry her." Sam offered. "We're lucky we're not far from the portal."

Danny's ghost sense went off. "Oh no. You guys, whatever attacked Ember is still nearby. We have to get out of here!"

"Steppin on it!" Tucker said as he hit the gas.

They made it to the portal. "Close it! Quick!" Danny told Tucker as they jumped out in Danny's Parent's lab.

Tucker leapt for the button to close the portal. A BANG was heard as if, something had tried to come through and hit its head. "That was too close." Danny said with a sigh as he leaned against the closed leaves of the gate.

"Danny help me… she may be a ghost, but she's not light!" Sam growled as she tried to move Ember from the seat to the couch that was there in case Danny's mom or dad wanted to rest and take a break from their research. There were even a couple quilts and a pillow there. Danny made them intangible and floated Ember over to the couch.

"There." Danny set her down.

Sam neatly unfolded the blanket and covered Ember with it, placing a big fluffy pillow under her head. "Now we wait."

Ember was floating in a blissful blackness. It felt so peaceful. Her soul, which had once been tormented by being turned into a ghost as she had, was finally at peace. She heard voices talking around her.

"Help me… she may be a ghost, but she's not light."

And the sensation of being lifted and moved. Something soft was spread over her body. "There."

"Now we wait."

Ember drifted off to an uneasy sleep, for even in her state she knew something was wrong.

Then she felt herself slowly waking. Ember's eyes fluttered open. It was nighttime. Ember always knew what time of day it was. She was lying on a couch in a familiar laboratory, with a blanket over her and a soft pillow underneath her head. "…"

Sam was sitting near her. "Hey Ember, feel better?"

Ember let out a shriek and tried to say something. But nothing came out of her mouth. The music ghost slapped two hands over her mouth. "My voice…" She tried to say.

Nothing came out. Ember tried to sing. Nothing. She tried to tell Sam what had happened. Nothing. Finally Ember let out a silent cry of anguish, tears falling from her eyes.

Sam pulled the ex-ghost into her arms. "It's okay." She said softly.

Ember shook her head. /No, it's not okay! I want to speak! I want to sing/ Then she snuggled into Sam's grip. /So warm… wait a minute… warm? A ghost's flesh is cold!

Alarmed, Ember tried to shove a hand through the couch. Nothing happened. Ember let out a squeak and tried to fire a ghost beam at the wall. NOTHING! She closed her eyes and tried to fly. NOTHING!

Ember burst into tears. Sam pulled her back into her arms. "Yeah, we suspected that would happen. We were mapping the ghost zone when our scanners picked you up. But they said you were human. We think whoever did this to you changed you froma ghost into a human." Sam explained. "You're in Danny's Parent's lab. They're going to a college… thing with Jazz down south. So Danny has the place to himself for the week. Want something to eat?"

Ember's stomach answered her. Ember looked down in surprise.

"Oh, of course, you were a ghost. I don't know how long its been since you've eaten." Sam sighed.

Ember eagerly sat up, she opened her mouth to speak, and then growled, frustrated.

"This reminds me of that stupid Disney movie, the Little Mermaid."

Ember glared at her angrily, as if to say. /I don't care about a stupid movie. And I'm not some little princess to be pampered. GET ME BACK MY VOICE/

Sam sighed. "I wonder how you lost your voice… um… may I try and guess which ghost did it?"

Ember sighed and nodded.

"Okay, was it Desiree?"

Ember shook her head, picked up a nearby telephone pad and wrote. /Nevermore./

"What, was that a raven ghost or something?" Sam asked.

Ember shook her head, exasperated. /I don't think Danny's met her./ Ember wrote. /She's more powerful than Vlad is even/

Sam shuddered. She hated to think of a ghost more powerful than Vlad. "And this lady ghost went after you?"

Ember nodded and sighed, lying back down.

Sam looked nervously at the portal. "I think she tried to get through, something hit their head on the portal."

Ember shivered in fear.

Sam pulled the reborn ghost into her arms. "Shhhh… it's okay."

Ember snuggled into Sam's arms, feeling warm and safe in that grip.

"I'll… I'll protect you… I'm not sure how, but I promise. I'll stay with you." Sam whispered softly in Ember's ear.

The goth ghost sighed in relief, slowly falling asleep.


	2. Chapter 2

**For want of a voice**

By Nyassa Kaiba

Danny found Sam and Ember curled up on the futon together the next morning. He smiled softly. He didn't want to wake the two girls up. "No way, curled up together like that."

Sam opened one eye. "Danny, need to talk, and be quiet, you'll wake her up."

"Okay." Danny pulled up a stool.

"According to Ember, a ghost named Nevermore took away her voice and made her human. She doesn't have her powers anymore. And she was rather distraught yesterday." Sam stroked Ember's hair gently. It was no longer flaming, it was blue like it normally was, but it was curly and soft.

"I think somebody's fallen." Danny said with a smirk.

"WHAT? Danny that's like saying that the two of US are a couple, just because it looks that way doesn't mean it is." Sam protested.

Danny shook his head. "Fine, you're not interested in her. You still look like it."

Ember kept her eyes closed, listening.

"I DON'T have a crush on Ember Danny. I swear it until I'm blue in the face. I don't, don't, don'tdon'tdon'tdon't…" donk Danny gave her a swat with a pillow that had fallen in the night.

"Don't deny your feelings Sam, whatever they are." Danny said with a yawn. "Tucker's making breakfast upstairs. We'd better hurry if we want something to eat."

Ember flushed. A crush on Sam Mason? Now that was an interesting take. Ember stirred, yawned, and stretched. She looked at Sam cutely. "Okay, NOW what do you want."

Ember picked up the pad and wrote. /Food. I haven't eaten in ten years. And suddenly my stomach wants to make up for lost time./ Her stomach rumbled.

"Right, sorry. Let's head to the kitchen."

Ember followed her nose until she found Tucker cooking pancakes upstairs. Being this close to food after 10 years of not eating made her stomach rumble again.

"Tucker I didn't know you cooked." Sam commented.

"I only know how to cook one thing, pancakes and bacon." Tucker sighed pathetically. "Which makes it my turn to cook."

Ember chuckled soundlessly.

"And what is so funny?" Sam demanded.

Ember tried to speak, and no sound came out. She sighed disgustedly.

"Um… what's with her?" Tucker asked as he placed yet another pancake on the pile.

"A ghost named Nevermore took her territory, her power and her voice." Sam summed up. "Ember's human now, and has multiple issues."

"ouch." Tucker stated. "Well, I'm sure you're probably hungry." He indicated that Ember take a seat at the breakfast table. "Grandma's special recipe." Tucker told her.

Ember started wolfing down the pancakes.

"Woah. Somebody was hungry." Tucker commented as he went back to his work. "Dude, this is going to be a great week. Spring Break, Danny's parents are out of town, no school. I mean, come on! How could we NOT have fun?"

"Hell-o! Tucker! We need to help Ember change back to her old self!" Sam growled at him.

"Do we HAVE to?" Demanded Danny. "I mean, Ember is Ember and Ember is an enemy! It's that simple, you help your family and friends first, your allies second, and your enemies never!"

Tears stung Ember's eyes.

"Just because she's an enemy doesn't mean she doesn't have feelings Danny!" Sam growled in her defense. "And I saw what this did to her. She isn't herself!"

Ember suddenly felt very grateful for Sam. She pushed back her plate and tried to rise. Sam gently pushed her back down. "Ember calm down okay? We'll find out how to get your voice back."

Ember nodded, tears of frustration coming to her eyes. "I hate being helpless." She tried to say, but again, the words came out soundless. In frustration she kicked over a nearby stool with a low growl.

"We'll help you Ember." Danny said at last. "But I need all the information you have on this Nevermore ghost. We've never faced her. What does her power affect?"

Ember snatched the nearest piece of paper and began to write. /Nevermore's power affects your body. If she wanted to she could remove a limb, or blind you, or separate your human and ghost halves, or freeze you in one form or the other. She could even take away your powers if she wanted to… look at what she did to mine/

"Calm down Ember." Tucker told her, upon reading this. "Consider this a second chance, not a curse. You were given a gift that none of the other ghosts got, you're alive again."

Ember looked at him, then looked down at her hands, at her body. To be truthful, she was torn between two different extremes. Part of her was glad. She'd been turned by an evil ghost named Nightmare, her humanity ripped away in a flash of light and a rush of pain. But the other part of her LOVED being a ghost, missed the freedom and power.

She looked back at Tucker, then at Sam, then at Danny. How did he deal with it? Being of neither world, neither alive nor dead, simply in between?

"You know what?" Sam asked. "I think as soon as breakfast is over, a trip to the mall is in order. And yes, Ember, you're coming with us. Can't leave you out. Besides, I heard Hot Topic is having a monster sale." This was said with a wicked grin. Ember wanted to ask what a Hot Topic was, then she remembered from back in the old days, her old life. A store that sold a ton of gothic clothing.

"And leave the guitar." Danny added. "It might give you away."

Ember nodded, then turned back to her food.

After everybody had eaten Sam lent Ember a jacket (since it was raining) and called her house for her family's chauffeur and car. Danny and Tucker gawked as a Cadillac Escalade came pulling up. "And later you can stay at my house okay?" Sam asked as she buckled in.

Excited, Ember climbed into the seat next to Sam and wrapped her arms around the goth, excited.

"ACK! You're welcome!" Sam cried as she tried to get out of the strangle hold. "But I can't exactly turn you out on the streets can I?"

Ember shook her head, letting go and sitting sedately in the back seat with Sam.

Sam sighed, trying to sort out her feelings for Ember. Was it that she liked her? Couldn't be! But… one of her aunts was gay, and it's supposed to run in families. Sam set the thought aside. It was a possibility. But there were others, like the fact that she really did feel sorry for Ember. Losing her voice? The one thing that made her happy. And what was it like to be living in the ghost zone?

Ember sighed, looking out the other window. She already knew she liked Sam. She'd liked her since they'd first met. Of course, back then Ember had thought it was mere attraction, lust, that's all, and for a turned ghost like her it was not a good idea.

There were two kinds of ghosts, Turned Ghosts, that is to say those that became ghosts due to a magic spell, or an accident like what had happened to Danny. The other kind was a death ghost. These ghosts became ghosts because they died and couldn't pass on for one reason or another. Ember had been turned by a monster calling himself Nightmare. Her previous girlfriend Kari had stayed just long enough to make sure Ember was alright before she continued on to wherever it was spirits went. Ember barely managed to make it to the ghost zone. Since then Ember had vowed revenge.

And then, ten years later, this cute… little… goth had wandered into her life, and Ember's emotions had seesawed between love and hate. Hate because if Sam were working with Danny, that made her an enemy didn't it? And love, because Ember was strongly attracted to her.

/What's wrong with me? She's like… ten years younger than I am. Well… mentally at least… physically I'll be 17 forever. But she'll grow old and die./ Ember wanted to kick something. /Wait a minute, I'm 17 again. I'm human now… we're both teenagers… I mean… okay so I'm three years older than she is… but I'm a teenager again/ Ember wanted to pull Sam into a kiss right then and there, but she HAD to wait until they were alone.

The mall was packed, seriously packed. Ember sort of… hid behind Sam, nervously taking her hand. /like a little child./ Ember thought to herself.

"Now, Tucker if you want to go look at the electronics Ember and I will meet you at Hot Topic in half an hour. Danny, make sure he BEHAVES." Sam handed them each a fifty. "That ought to get you each something. And Danny there's a new Hollisters here. I'd suggest you check them out. Their clothing's really your style."

Danny nodded. "I can pick out my own clothes Sam."

Ember sighed, following Sam to Hot Topic.

"Now, don't worry about money, my parents are loaded. But we need to get you some changes of clothes, hopefully for about a week." Sam explained as she dug though the piles of folded clothes. "Go ahead and pick some stuff out."

Same old store, different music, new styles. It wasn't as if Ember hadn't kept up with clothing styles. But she'd had no reason to need new clothes in ten years. Three pairs of cargoes, a pleather pair of pants, and two pairs of black jeans were the first. Ember then found some T-shirts for different bands.

She recognized Led Zepplin and Aerosmith. But the Ataris, Good Charlotte, Avril Lavigne, Simple Plan, and several others were unfamiliar to her. When she checked Cartoons so were Inu-Yasha, Yu Yu Hakusho, X, and Teen Titans. Ember skirted most of these. And speaking of which she found a black cargo skirt. That fit her perfectly.

Then Ember found a shirt she absolutely HAD to have. It had a silver dragon with blue eyes on it that said, "Blue Eyes White Dragons Love Me, but don't worry, they love you too, for dessert."

With the blue eyes shirt, the Led Zepplin Shirt, and the Aerosmith Shirt on the pile Ember continued looking for shirts. She found one for the Time Warp Dance Steps on it. She also picked three more that had different sayings on them then moved on to jewelry. A collar with dragon head studs, fingerless velvet gloves, and some earrings went on top of the pile. She met Sam at the counter. "You're awefully thorough." Sam commented as she looked through the pile. "Yup, this will do." She held up the Blue Eyes shirt. "Huh, dragons, didn't know you liked Yugioh?"

Ember, forgetting her voice was gone, tried to ask, "What's that?" But it didn't come out.

"Oh, Yugioh is a cartoon." Replied Sam. "There's a monster in it called a Blue Eyes White Dragon. This is a shirt based on that monster." She explained as the cashier rang up the clothing. "Well then." As the clothing was rung up. "We'd better go look for Danny." She handed the woman at the counter a credit card before leading Ember out.

She walked right into Vlad. "OOF… Oh, Vlad… hi…" She said nervously.

"Miss Mason, a pleasure. To what do I owe the occasion?"

"I don't have to tell you. Come on." Sam dragged Ember by the hand.

Vlad stiffened. "Do I know you?" He asked Ember.

Ember shook her head. She knew Vlad's reputation, even if she hadn't seen his human form.

"She's dumb Vlad, she can't answer." Sam replied. "Come on." She took Ember by the arm and gently tugged her away. Ember looked back over her shoulder at the grown up Halfa.

They made it to Hollisters. Suddenly an enormous raven ghost appeared. "Crap." Sam swore. "Ember we need to take cover."

"I am Nevermore, ghost of she who was burned by the sun! Let the one known as Danny Phantom come forth!"

Everybody was running and screaming. Suddenly Danny came through the floor from the bottom half of the mall. He was fully ghost. "What do you want?"

"To challenge you. Many ghosts have fought your might and lost. I want to test their powers and yours." Nevermore replied.

"So you want to turn this into a powerstruggle?" Danny asked, annoyed. "Sorry, I don't do those."

"Then I have no choice." Replied Nevermore. "It is said that if you become fully ghost, you would turn evil, driven to find power and raise yourself to the next level, perhaps then you will respond to my challenge."

Danny turned pale. "You wouldn't! Do you know what that would DO to the world? DO to the city and the people I love?"

"You have left me no choice." Nevermore replied. She opened her beak, which was glowing with green power.

Sam ran forward. "YOU WON'T! DON'T TOUCH HIM!" Sam shoved Danny out of the way. The beam hit Sam instead. She screamed in pain before being engulfed in pure, emerald green light. The light turned purple, then faded. Sam fell, unconscious, on the ground.

"Foolish human." Nevermore growled.

An Ectoblast went flying from beyond the battlefield, hitting Nevermore between the eyes. "WHAT?"

"You want a real challenge?" Asked Vlad as he came running over to them. "Fight me Nevermore!"

"Vlad Plasmius." Nevermore cawed softly. "A true challenge."

"Vlad be careful!" Danny warned as he took Sam's pulse. Ember stood, frozen. Then she reached for her guitar and mic, realizing suddenly that they weren't there, that she was totally helpless.

"Ember, we need to get out of here." Tucker whispered in Ember's ears.

Ember shook her head, running over to where Sam lay and taking her form in. Sam's hair had turned pure white, except for a sapphire blue streak on either side of her face. Frantic, Ember shook her gently, then harder. Sam groaned. "Hurts… pain…"

Danny shuddered. "We need to get out of here." He told them. "Ember, do you know anything that could help Sam?"

Ember shook her head vigorously.

Between the three of them they got Sam out of the way. Then Danny airlifted them back to the Escalade and the waiting driver. He ran back for packages and came out of the mall as Danny Fenton instead of Phantom. As he watched, Vlad and Nevermore took the battle to the skies above the mall. "We need to go! Back to Sam's house, quickly!"

The driver nodded, stepping on the gas.

They got back to Sam's house. "Vlad will probably drop by later to make sure we're alright. I don't know whether I'd cheer or throw up. He's so fake." Danny growled. They struggled to carry Sam up the stairs to her room. Ember tugged back the sheets, pulled off Sam's shoes, and tucked her in.

Danny chuckled. "I think the feelings mutual." He commented to Tucker when he saw the look on Ember's face as she tucked Sam in.

"Great, the last thing we need is Ember hanging around. Sorry Danny, but anything we've done concerning her has always been trouble." Tucker told them.

Ember's eyes filled with tears, and she looked very angry. She stuck her nose up at Tucker and sat down on the edge of Sam's bed.

"But what's happened to her?" Tucker asked. "You don't think Sam's been…"

Ember gasped, turning to Sam, biting her lip on her distress.

"I think that's exactly what's happened." Danny said, walking over and sitting on a chair across from Sam's bed. He put his face in his hands. "Now I know how Vlad must have felt finding out about me. And he wasn't even close to me."

"It's worse when it's a friend." Tucker agreed.

Ember looked from one, to the other, but she understood. Danny was seeing his own turning over again. Ember sighed, grabbed the nearest paper and pen and wrote. /Danny, there are two kinds of ghosts, those who died, and those who were turned. I was one of the last. So were you… I wanted you to know… to a certain extent I can feel your pain./

Sam groaned in her sleep. Sweat dripped from her face. Ember gently dabbed it away on the edge of the sheets.

Danny read the sheet. "Really?"

Ember nodded.

"Well I suppose ghosts have to come from somewhere." Danny commented. He set the page aside. "Here's what I figure Tucker. I think that Nevermore was trying to make me all ghost. And since I'm half ghost she'd just need a spell to turn half a person's DNA into that of a ghost. The spell hit Sam, so she's a halfa now."

Ember nodded and curled up next to Sam, with her head on her shoulder. Sam groaned, slowly coming to. Her eyes fluttered open.

"SAM!" Tucker and Danny cried, running over to the bed.

"Nevermore… did we… beat him?" Sam asked weakly. She recognized her own room.

"Vlad took over the fight so we could get out." Danny replied. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, but it's… cold in here…" Sam shivered. "Why… why are you so concerned?" She asked, worried.

Ember calmly held up a nearby beauty mirror. Sam saw her reflection. "No… no it couldn't be… I can't be…"

"Sorry…" Danny took her hand, tears running down his face. One of them fell on Sam's cheek.

Sam looked up at him, startled. Ember was crying too. Even Tucker had tears in his eyes.

"NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!"


	3. Chapter 3

Ember felt Sam's scream in her heart. It was anguish, it was rage, it was frustration. It was fear. Ember pulled Sam into her arms comfortingly, crying. Sam's tears streamed from her eyes. "Shh… shhhh it's okay." Danny said as he rubbed Sam's back.

"It's not okay. It will never be okay again." Sam sobbed. "Never, never, never!"

Vlad chose that time to come through the roof. "I took care of Nevermore. Fought the bitch to a draw, what…" He saw Sam and backed up a couple paces. "No…"

"Yes." Danny stood. "Looks like there's another halfa in town."

"Halfa?"

"Half human half ghost. It's a slang term." Danny replied.

"I prefer the term Phantom." Vlad replied. "It's much more proper."

"So do I, but halfa they called us, so halfa it is."

Sam couldn't stop crying. Ember didn't mind Sam snuggling into her shoulder. She turned Sam's face up to look at her, dabbing away the goth girl's tears. Secretly she was jealous. At least Sam HAD powers.

"My condolences child." Vlad said softly. "I know what it's like… if I could undo it I would."

Sam knew he meant it, and so she didn't comment. She knew that while Danny had used his powers for good, and had accepted them as part of his life, Vlad had mourned his humanity and used his powers for personal gain. Which extreme would she embrace? One thing was for certain. While she mourned her humanity, Sam would NEVER use her powers for her own gain the way Vlad had.

Sam tried to wipe her tears away on her arm. "I'll get Nevermore. I'll train my powers to the maximum and then I'll take her down!" Sam growled, then sniffled.

Ember had never quite seen this side of Sam. In fact, she still wasn't sure she was seeing it. She tapped Sam and tried to say something, but a squeak was all that came out.

"You haven't seen Sam when she's angry have you?" Danny asked with a chuckle. "Sorry, it's nothing to laugh about." He pulled Sam into a hug. "We'll find a way to reverse what Nevermore did."

Ember snatched up a sheet of scrap paper and scrawled. /It's a gift Sam! At least you HAVE your powers/

"What's wrong with her?" Vlad asked, as Ember handed the sheet to Sam.

"She lost her voice when she fought Nevermore." Replied Danny. "And got turned into a human."

Vlad whistled. "I'd love to have seen that."

Ember growled, shaking her head.

"You would just have wanted Nevermore to turn you back into a human." Tucker accused. "You think we don't know you by now?"

Vlad sighed. "Alright, I admit it. I'm hoping that I can get Nevermore to make me human again. But that doesn't mean that I can't help you all in the process."

"Vlad we can handle this on our own." Danny told him.

Vlad shook his head. "No, you need help. In battle Nevermore has NEVER been beaten."

"That's what they said about the Pariah Dark and I still beat him."

"You wouldn't have without me." Vlad reminded him.

"I'm not teaming up with you Vlad." Danny told him. "Do what you want."

"And what I want to do is help you." Vlad replied.

"Vlad, do you know what happens to the ghost half once it's removed?" Danny asked. "Because it has to go somewhere. And do you know what it does? It seeks to be complete. And in the process it either destroys you, or the world and everything and everyone you care about. Our ghost halves are PSYCHO Vlad! Trust me, I've been there." Danny ranted.

"I don't CARE alright!" Vlad demanded. "I never asked for this! And I've had ENOUGH! You hear me? ENOUGH!"

Danny sighed. Something was bugging Vlad, bugging him big time. "Alright, what's happened to make you give up?"

Vlad's head jerked around, startled. "What do you mean?"

"You normally wouldn't care about your ghost half. Normally you'd keep it and consider it a gift."

Vlad looked at the ground, then out the window into the distance. "I… I never told you Danny. I have a son… about your age. His mother died when he was born. But recently, recently he got bullied and… and his ghost powers began to surface. I want him to be normal… To live the life I never got to live… I don't want him to share the burden that I have."

"And who's going to train him?" Danny asked. "Who's going to teach him how to control his powers if not you? You're his father. It's up to you to teach him these things. He's lucky. He doesn't have to learn alone the way you and I did. If you lose your powers who's going to teach him to control his?"

"I don't know and I don't care!" Vlad shouted. "Don't you GET it? If it weren't for my foolishness he wouldn't BE like this!" He growled, went ghost, and flew away before Danny could say any more.

"Talk about angst." Sam commented.

Ember laughed soundlessly. Didn't Vlad realize that his powers, and his son's powers, were a gift? It could be worse, he could be in her boat, no powers at all. But… wasn't being human a gift too? Confused, Ember sighed, lying down on the bed next to Sam and snuggling into the pillow.

"Tucker, why don't we go someplace where these two can be alone. Maybe rent a movie or something." Danny suggested, nodding meaningfully in the girls' direction. "Sam, we'll be back in a couple hours. You get some rest, your body needs time to complete the transformation. And if Vlad decides to check in on you tell him that Danny said to fuck off and leave you alone." Danny said that last with a low growl.

"See you in a bit." Tucker said as he waved goodbye.

"Okay, what's up?" Tucker asked Danny.

"I think either Ember has a crush on Sam or Sam has a crush on Ember or maybe both." Danny hissed. "We need to stay out of their way, lock the door or something, until they get together."

"Are you crazy?" Tucker asked.

"No, just desperate. Maybe if she's with Sam, Ember will join us. And maybe if they're together, Sam might learn a thing or two about ghost powers." Danny suggested. "It's worth a shot."

"Yeah, but what happens to Sam's feelings if it doesn't work out?" Tucker asked. "And what if Sam is NOT gay. I mean, I could have sworn she had a thing for you."

"Yeah… but Tucker… I don't really have a thing for her… I mean… she's the coolest girl I know… but it's not like that for me…" Danny told him, stammering slightly.

"You could have fooled me." Tucker replied.

"Sorry… but its… true…" Danny stammered, turning red.

"Okay, then who DO you like?" Tucker asked as they walked. "Don't tell me it's Paulina, because to be honest Danny, she's been nothing but trouble."

Danny shook his head. "Tucker…"

"Hmm?"

"I like men…"

"YOU'VE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME!" Tucker cried.

"No, I'm not." Danny sighed, turning redder and redder.

"You mean all that fuss over Paulina's been just a… a front?"

"No, for awhile I really thought I liked her. But after the incident with the necklace of Eragon, I really didn't like her that much anymore." Danny replied.

"Personally, I think you're bi and you just don't realize it." Tucker replied.

"You're not angry?" Danny asked, ready to run.

"I'm a little angry, because you didn't tell your best friend. But I forgive you." Tucker gave Danny a cute little pat on the head, rolled his eyes, and finally said. "So who DO you like. Don't tell me it's Dash. Because that would be gross."

Danny made a face. "EW!"

"Okay, then who?"

"To be honest, there's nobody I really like right now." Danny replied. "I mean, you know. I don't know who is and who isn't at school."

Tucker chuckled. "Me for a start."

"WHAT?"

"I'm bi, but a tend to go for girls more than boys. And I wouldn't have mentioned it if you handn't." Tucker was laughing. "Come on, we'd better make good on our alibi." He led a still stunned Danny down the stairs and out.

Sam sighed dejectedly, lying back on the bed. Ember snuggled against her. "Ember can I ask you something personal?" Sam asked as soon as the boys were out of earshot.

Ember nodded vigorously.

"Do you… have a crush on me or something?" Sam asked, curious.

Ember started to nod again, but shook her head vigorously, waving her hands for emphasis.

Sam laughed, then yawned. "Man, Danny was right… I feel so weak." Sam snuggled close.

And she began to dream. She and Ember were one, one in heart, body and soul, their love reaching a dizzying peak… and suddenly… "AH!" Sam sat straight up in bed.

Ember was sleeping next to her, and rolled over. Danny wasn't back yet, neither was Tucker.

Ember was having a similar dream, and she opened her eyes way too soon. Sam turned to her. "I'm worried, they aren't back yet, or they are and didn't want to wake us up." Sam commented. She got up and went to the door. It was locked and blocked. "Okay, this smells of a matchmaking attempt." She stomped the floor, banged on what she could reach of the door, and shouted. "DANNY YOU ARE A DEAD MAN!" She shouted, shaking the door.

Ember was rolling on the bed laughing. Then she arched an eyebrow suggestively.

"We are NOT giving him what he wants." Sam growled. She sat down, got up, and tried to shake the door again.

Ember walked over, scooped up Sam, and placed her back on the bed. Then Ember lay down next to her and snuggled against her.

"I don't get it. You aren't upset about it?" Sam asked.

Ember leaned over to kiss Sam gently on the lips.

Sam froze. Her first kiss, with an ex-ghost no less. Pleasure rippled through her. "Oh… oh…" She moaned softly pulling the soundless ex-ghost into her arms. "Hold me…"

Ember smirked, wrapping her arms around Sam's waist, hands roaming her back as they rolled around in the bed, kissing and caressing. Ember smirked, ending up on top and running a hand along the goth's thigh as she kissed her way down Sam's neck.

Half an hour later Danny peeked in around the barrier that he'd constructed to keep Sam and Ember in. The two of them, quite rumpled, were curled up on Sam's bed. "Hey Tucker, I think your idea worked. They're curled up in bed as cute as can be."

"No sign of anything… more… ahem… intimate?" Tucker asked, peeking out from behind a monster bowl of popcorn.

"No, but it sure looks like they've gotten together." Danny told Tucker. "Help me move the barrier Tuck." The two boys shoved the coffee table they'd been using to bar the door out of the way and replaced the stuff that they'd moved off of it.

"Now we go down and enjoy our movie while we wait for them to come down." Danny said as he led Tucker back down to finish watching the old Frankenstein movie that they'd found at the movie rental store.


End file.
